Lashing out at the previous Congress-led State Government, Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday said if the Union Government would not have provided loan of Rs 500 crore lately, the coffers of the State would have been empty without a penny to give to the employees.
It was the Congress Government which appointed number of Chief Secretaries, chairmen and vice-chairmen of various boards and corporations who had spent lavishly emptying the State coffers, said the Chief Minister while addressing a public meeting at Bangana in Kutlehar Assembly constituency of Una district.
On the occasion, he announced early sanctioning of estimated funds of Rs 1.08 crore for improvement of Badalia-Tiuri lift water supply scheme (LWSS) phase II, a sum of Rs 5.38 crore as estimated for construction of check dams at Deehar, Chamoli and Chambora, a sum of already estimated Rs 74.39 lakh for lift irrigation supply scheme Badoli-Tiuri, to release estimated amount of Rs 2.20 crore for improvement of water supply scheme to LWSS Ramgarh-Dhar.
He added the amount of Rs 18.5 crore already estimated for LWSS for Gram Panchayats Karmali, Arlu, Sukariyal, Piplu, Jasana and Hatli Kesaru from Beas River would be made available soon.
The Chief Minister also announced to provide adequate funds for mini secretariat building at Bangana for which provision will be made in the budget.
Hitting out at the Congress, Thakur said the Congress leaders have started questioning my visits to Delhi but if needed, I will go to Delhi time and again as it was not the Congress Government in Delhi but it was the Government of Narendra Modi, which cares for the needs of the people of Himachal Pradesh.
He said the Union Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi was completing its term of office in 2019 and exhorted the people to vote for BJP candidates for parliamentary elections so as to ensure Modi’s Government once again at the Centre.
The country has never witnessed such a massive change towards development and a step towards digital India, as happened during the regime of BJP, said the Chief Minister.
He also dared the Congress to prove any act of omission or commission during four years regime of Modi Government.
It was during the BJP rule that Indian Institute of Information Technology at Una, Rs 450 crore PGI satellite centre at Una, 69 national highways, Indian Institute of Technology at Mandi,
Indian Institute of Management in Sirmaur, Central University, Hydro-engineering college in Bilaspur, and many other projects were sanctioned for the State by NDA Government, he said.
The Chief Minister said it was the Congress Government in the State which kept delaying preparation of detailed project reports fearing that the credit of the projects will go to the Union Government. The consultancy services for preparation of detailed project reports would be completed by March 31 and thereafter, the tender process will begin for all sanctioned national highways, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Member Parliament Anurag Thakur lauded the efforts of the Government for getting the drinking water supply schemes sanctioned for the people.
He welcomed the decision of the Government of lowering the age for elderly for social security pension from 80 to 70 years, which will benefit larger section of aged. The MP said it was the commitment towards the safety of women that the Government launched Guddiya helpline 1515 and the Shakti App. Within a month of its regime, the BJP Government has taken many decisions including tightening noose on drug and forest mafia, he added.
He said the BJP intends to improve the rail connectivity and Una-Nangal-Talwara rail line has also got the funds amounting to Rs 80 crore for completion of its around eight to ten kilometres of length in Himachal Pradesh. The efforts were afoot to get the adequate funds for Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Leh rail line which was important from strategic point of view, he added.
Anurag Thakur said he is mulling to create sports infrastructure from his MP funds in his parliamentary constituency provided he receives NOC from the schools and
also to begin the sanitary napkin distribution scheme for girls in all schools in his parliamentary segment from his MP funds.
Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister Virendar Kanwar who represents the Kutlehar Assembly constituency urged for improvement and augmentation of Rs 1.08 crore Badoli-Tiuri phase II water supply scheme and also demanded construction of check dams at various places in the constituency.